LS95 Tweaking

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adrianclark

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It's unusual for me not to change the pickups on a guitar, but I'm pretty satisfied with the pickups on my new LS95 so far. However, I was reading about the slightly different 1950s wiring and couldn't resist trying it out.

I also took the opportunity to change the capacitors... I'm watching some Bumblebees on Ebay, but for the moment I've used a pair of Orange Drops. I recorded a couple of clips (same notes, same amp settings) first for the original wiring, then for the 50s wiring with the Orange Drops. The difference is very, very slight, but I think I can hear it. Basically, the guitar sounds "thinner", but in a good way... an increased clarity and definition.


Adrian
 
Once you're into orange drop territory you can't get much better as far as caps are concerned. I wouldn't waste your money on the bumblebees.

You may want to consider new pots as well, a good set of CTS controls will further improve clarity and definition.
 
Totaly agree, I?m just about to do a new 50?s wiring on my Tokai LS80F and I?m using CTS pots and orange drops. I?m very satisfied with them.



Anders
Sweden
 
The Orange Drops are nice indeed, and maybe not worth changing, but I did anyway. The Hovland "guitar caps" are almost as big an improvement over the OD as the OD are over the ceramic discs. Granted they cost a few dollars, not a fraction of, like the Orange Drops. Still a very cheap and effective mod.

Anyone who says it isn't physically possible for the caps on "10" to alter the tone only reads books and doesn't listen. :roll:

I do both. :wink:
 
Well, I really don't know, until now it's all original, but I think about changing into CTS Potis, like the higher models.
 
Kaze said:
Which Orange Drops do I need (capacity) for the LS-80?

0.022uF is the standard. It doesn't matter what pots you use, but 500k audio taper CTS do all the right things in a les paul.
 
TSL said:
Anyone who says it isn't physically possible for the caps on "10" to alter the tone only reads books and doesn't listen. :roll:

Y'mean books that tell you things like "the tone cap's job is to remove parts of the signal, not process it, therefore the reason they don't make a difference and the reason most guitar companies get away with using cheap, nasty, noisy caps is that you don't hear the signal that passes through them"?

I reserve the right to question you as my tone caps cost me quite a bit more than Hovlands :wink:
 
Kaze said:
Which Orange Drops do I need (capacity) for the LS-80?

Hi.

RS - guitarworks takes .015 - .022 ?F for their Hovland guitarcaps, Andreas Kloppmann recommends the Mallory caps in the same size, .022 ?F ...
I have both in my LPs ... sound great and together with CTS pots you really learn what your tone pot is for ... :lol:

BTW - www.guitar-goods.de

Adrian,

If I were you I would be very cautious regarding the bumblebees - the old sought after ones are so rare that you have to pay 400-500 $$ for a pair of them - if you ever see one of them - fake58 sells "fakes" of them, not the origin ones but P&O with a fake coat that looks like the bbs ... :-?
... but they are referring it ...

Roger
 
Ah, some interesting points there, chaps. Given the quality of the Orange Drops and the existence of fake Bumblebees (thanks for the alert, Roger!) I think I'll stick with the ODs.

Kaze - the "standard" value for use with humbuckers is 0.022microfarad. As I understand it, the voltage value generally doesn't matter... with reference to Strats, Chris Kinman recommends going for higher-voltage caps simply because the thicker wires are easier to solder. I went for the 400-volt Orange Drops, simply because 400v was the figure I saw quoted most often on vintage Gibson droolathon sites. :)

Next step... CTS pots. Are all CTS pots pretty much the same, or should I be looking out for a particular variety? (500k audio taper, obviously)


Adrian
 
adrianclark said:
Next step... CTS pots. Are all CTS pots pretty much the same, or should I be looking out for a particular variety? (500k audio taper, obviously)

Adrian

I'm interested to know as well because I'm thinking of 59ing my Reborn. We've covered mostly pots, caps, wiring - just a few more details to hunt for.........I recall reading that the pots need long shafts and that the pickup selector switch replacement can be a tight fit.......I'm just having a hard time finding the thread that the info is located in.
 
Here we go ...

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=6262&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0


Roger
 
adrianclark said:
Next step... CTS pots. Are all CTS pots pretty much the same, or should I be looking out for a particular variety? (500k audio taper, obviously)


Adrian

There are two variants to watch out for - long and short shaft. I've got a couple of long shafts in my LR and the holes had to be widened to accomodate them - not sure if the shorts require that kind of modification.

If you end up doing the switch too, don't buy the standard switchcraft gibson upgrade as it won't fit without butchering your guitar (you have to sand the cavity so thin that you run a huge risk of cracking and/or completely mangling the wood around the switch). There's a long-thread version out there you can use.
 
I used Rockinger switch and it fitted correct and. it?s good quality.
You can get it from them at www.rockinger.com
Maybe ACY in Germany too have any that fit OK.
 
CTS pots now installed! I initially found them quite strange... the taper is completely different from anything on my other guitars and the action is quite stiff. However, I'm getting used to them, and they're so much better for nailing low volume settings more precisely.

The LS95 has now experienced some proper action, too... I used it on a session last week (recreating a Darkness track), and it sounded fantastic. Also, here's something a bit more lo-fi that I did on Youtube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbLGxTq90z0


Adrian
 
Brilliant Adrian,good to see the guitar getting the attention it deserves,nice playing as well.
 
Woohoo, another leftie! Great video, thanks for posting it. Hey, smile will you! You looked like you were having a good time yet you are frowning!

Funkynassau :D
 
:)

That's the downside of Youtube... we all get to see what we look like when we're concentrating really hard on playing a solo!


Adrian
 

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